Animating device for a doll

ABSTRACT

Each foot of a doll is connected by an element to one of a pair of movable racks which, respectively, sit in a pair of parallel grooves located in a rotatable base. The rotatable base and a stationary gear whose teeth engage the racks are both supported by a base plate. When the rotatable base is oscillated by a lever coupled to the base and driven by a motor, the racks move the feet in opposition directions. A third rack is coupled to the base plate and the base plate is slidably mounted for radial movement relative to a rotatable platform mounted in a housing. The rotatable platform includes a radial slot through which the elements connected to the doll extend. A shaft having a pinion which engages the third rack is supported on the rotatable platform. Accordingly, rotation of the shaft moves the doll radially, and angular movement of the shaft rotates the rotatable platform and the doll.

United States Patent Tepper et al. [4 June 27, 1972 ANIMATING DEVICE FOR A DOLL Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-D. L. Weinhold [72] Inventors: Sidney Tapper, Milbum; Nicholas Lalinga,

M om Clair, both of Ni Attorney-Bre1tenfeld & Levine [73] Assignee: Topper Corporation [5 7] ABSTRACT Filed: J y 9, 1971 Each foot of a doll is connected by an element to one of a pair f movable racks which res ectivel sit in a air of arallel 21 A LN 167383 P P P 1 pp 0 grooves located in a rotatable base. The rotatable base and a stationary gear whose teeth engage the racks are both sup- [52] US. Cl. ..46/l R, 46/1 C, 46/119, ported by a base plate when the rotatable base is oscillated 46/121, 45/137 by a lever coupled to the base and driven by a motor, the racks [5 1] Int. Cl. ..A63h 33/00 move the feet in opposition directions A third rack is coupled [58] Field of Search ..46/l R, l C, 119, 120, 121, to the base plate and the base plate i slidably mounted f a 46/136440 radial movement relative to arotatable platform mounted in a housing. The rotatable platform includes a radial slot through [56] References Cited which the elements connected to the doll extend. A shaft hav- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing a pinion which engages the third rack is supported on the rotatable platform. Accordingly, rotation of the shaft moves the radially and angular movement of the shaft rotates 1,348,386 8/1920 the rotatable platform and the doll. 2,932,918 4/1960 Pearson ..46/14O X 14 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEnJum m2 INVENTORS SIDNEY TEPPER NICHOLAS L4L/A/64 PATENTEDwnzv m2 3.672.092 sum u or s INVENTORS PATENTEUJUNZY m2 3.672.092

SHEET 5 UP 5 INVENTORS ANIMATING DEVICE FOR A DOLL The present invention relates to devices for animating dolls and in particular to a device which is external to and supports the doll.

It is an object of the invention to provide an animating device for a doll capable of causing the doll to simulate dancing, the rhythm and movements of the doll being under the complete control of the child operating the toy.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a toy capable of three independent modes of operation so that the doll can be moved in three different ways separately or simultaneously.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a toy which can be connected to another similar toy so that two dolls can be moved simultaneously to simulate a couple dancmg.

Additional objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of two similar toy animating devices according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of one of the devices illustrating the various modes of operation;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 4- 4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 55 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of some component parts of a device according to the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the embodiment chosen to illustrate this invention is a toy which animates a doll 12in any or all of three independent modes of operation. In the first mode of operation, controlled by the setting C of speed control 15, the dolls legs 13, 14 reciprocate back and forth. In the second and third modes of operation, respectively, the doll 12 is movable angularly and radially in a horizontal plane by the angular displacement A and rotation B of shaft 16. The modes of operation are controlled by a player who can thereby cause the doll 12 to appear to dance for his or her amusement and pleasure.

FIG. 1 shows two similar devices 10, 11 according to the invention. However, because of their similarity, only the toy will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the device is generally contained within an irregularly shaped housing 17. The exterior of the housing 17 may be described in general as a frusto-conical shell having a flat vertical face 18 along a portion of its surface; a circular hole 19 in its top 20; an arcuate slot 21 in its side wall; and a horizontal slot 22. The face 18 includes slots 23 and 24 (FIG. 4), which cooperate with connecting means (not shown) used to couple toys 10 and 11 to each other. The interior of housing 17, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, accommodates a power supply housing 25, associated with the first mode of operation, fastened by screws 26, 27, 28. A pair of circular disks 29, 30 are fastened by screws 31, 32 to the lower ends of two spaces (not shown) depending from housing top 20. Two arcuate flanges are secured to two pairs of spacers 34, 36, by screws 37, 38, 39, 40. The disks 29, 30 and arcuate members 41, 42 serve to support a rotatable platform 43, fully described below. v

The power supply housing 25 includes a rectangular compartment 44 and a cover 45 which snap fits into slots 46, 47, respectively, in opposite walls 59, 60 of the compartment 44. The compartment 44 houses two batteries 48 (only one is shown in FIG. 4) in series and a pair of conventional metal terminals (not shown) which make electrical contact with the batteries 48. One of the metal terminals is connected by an electrical wire 53 (FIG. 3) to power supply terminal 54 on rotatable platform 43 and the other metal terminal is connected by an electrical wire 57 to one end 55 of variable resistor 51 which is located in a second compartment 52 of the power supply housing 25. The wiper arm 56 (See FIG. 4) of the variable resistor is connected by an electrical wire 50 to power supply terminal 49 on rotatable platform 43. The wiper arm 56 of the variable resistor 51 is fastened to speed control 15 by a rivet (not shown). The movement C (See FIG. 2) within the slot 22 of speed control 15 varies the effective resistance which is connected in series with the batteries 48 and consequently the electrical power which is delivered by the power supply to terminals 49, 54.

The rotatable platform 43 is arranged within hole 19 of housing 17, the top of the platform being flush with the housing top 20. Platform 43 has a peripheral flange slidably resting on flanges 41 and 42 and disks 29 and 30. The platform has a diametral slot 61 (FIGS. 1 and 2), and fastened to its lower face by screws 65, 66, 67 and 68 (FIG. 3) are a pair of rails 63 and 64 flanking slot 61. A shaft support 70 is fastened by screws 71 and 72 to a pair of ribs 69 projecting downwardly from platform 43.

Rails 63, 64 slidably support the top plate 73 (FIGS. 4 and 5) of a subassembly, herein below described, against the bottom of the rotatable platform 43. The top plate 73 has a circular hole 74 and two pairs of spacers 75, 76 (not all shown) to which a base plate 80 is fastened by screws 77, 78, and 79.

A rack 81, from which an apertured wall 33 depends, is fastened to the base plate 80 by screws 78, 79. Shaft 16 is rotatably supported by shaft support 70 and extends through the aperture in slotted wall 33. One end of the shah 16 carries a pinion 82 which engages the teeth of rack 81. The shaft 16 also passes through slot 21 in the housing 17 and supports knob 58 (also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). Thus, by grasping knob 58 and rotating it as indicated at B in FIG. 2, shaft 16 can be rotated about its longitudinal axis causing pinion 82 to move rack 81 longitudinally. This movement of the rack results in sliding movement of the subassembly including top plate 73 along rails 63 and 64. Knob 58 can also be swung as indicated at A in FIG. 2, so that shaft 16 slides along the length of slot 21. This movement causes rotation of platform 43 within hole 19 of housing 17. I

Referring primarily to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the base plate 80 has a generally circular hole 83 with two flat sides surrounded by a boss 84 on its top surface. Spacers 85 and 86 project downwardly from the bottom surface of base plate 80 and fastened to them by screws 89, 90, 139, 140 (See also FIG. 3) is the top plate 93 of an electromechanical drive cage. Base plate 80 is also furnished with a rivet hole 94 (FIG. 5).

Two walls 95, 96, which extend down from opposite sides of the top plate 93 are fastened to bottom plate 97. Bottom plate 97 supports a motor 98, electrically connected by wires (not shown) to power supply terminal 49, 54, whose shaft 99 extends through a hole in the top plate 93 and supports at its end pulley 100. Belt 101 connects pulley to pulley 102 which carries a gear 103. Gear 103 drives speed-reducing gear 104 which in turn drives gear 105. A pin 106 projects upwardly form and eccentrically with respect to gear 105. Shafts 107, 108, 109, respectively, support gears 103, 104, 105, against top plate 93, and lockwashers 110, 111, 112 (also shown in FIG. 3) secure the shafts 107, 108, 109, which pass through holes in the bottom plate, in place.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, pin 106 slidably engages a slot 113 in a rotary-to-oscillatory converter comprising a lever 1 14 which is pivotally fastened to base plate 80 by a rivet 115 which passes through rivet hole 94. The lever 114 includes a slot, one side of which is defined by a gear segment 116. As gear 105 rotates, lever 114 and gear segment 116 oscillate.

The gear segment 116 drives a rotatable enclosure 35 (See FIGS. 4, 5, and 7) comprising a circular base and a top 129 having parallel slots 91, 92. A circular flange 128 of top 129 is fastened to base 125 by screws 130, 131 (FIG. 7). The rotatable enclosure houses elements 117, 117' which extend through slots 91, 92 respectively. These elements are pushed into longitudinal bores in the legs of doll 12 to mount the latter on the toy. As shown in FIG. 7, elements 117, 117', respec tively, are offset members of racks 118, 119. The lower ends of elements 117, 117' sit on arcuate surfaces 120 and 121 of base 125, and racks 118, 119 are slidably arranged within grooves 122, 123 of the base. A drive shaft 126 extends perpendicularly from the base 125 and has a gear 127 at its lower end which engages the gear segment 116 of the lever 114. Thus, as gear segment 116 oscillates, it oscillates members 125, 129 about a vertical axis.

The base 125 rests against the boss 133 of stationary gear 134 and the teeth 135 of gear 134 engage the racks 118, 119 through slots 124 in the inner side walls of grooves 122, 123. The toys 129 extends into circular hole 74 (See FIGS. 4 and 5) in top plate 73 and its flange 128 serves as a stop which prevents the rotatable enclosure 35 from moving through hole 74.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the stationary gear 134 includes a hole 132 through which the shaft 126 passes. A sleeve 136 surrounds hole 132, and has flats 137, 138 which snugly engage the hole 83 in the base plate 80. In this way, gear 134 is held stationary with respect to base plate 80.

In operation the setting of the speed control determines the voltage which is applied to the motor 98, and hence its speed and therefore, the rate at which lever 114 and the rotatable enclosure 35 are oscillated. Oscillation of the enclosure causes the racks 118, 119, which are in engagement with the stationary gear, 134 to move back and forth along their grooves 122 and 123. Racks 118 and 119 always move in opposite directions, and hence the doll legs 13 and 14 are reciprocated, in scissors fashion, giving the illusion that the doll is dancing. Use of the arcuate surfaces 120 and 121 insures that the elements 116 and 117 are not cammed out of the bores in the doll legs. It is contemplated that music will be played while this toy is being used and hence speed control 15 can be adjusted so that the dolls legs move in time to the music.

Simultaneously with movement of the dolls legs, knob 58 can be rotated to cause the doll to move radially back and forth across the housing top, and shaft 16 can be swung arcuately to turn the doll from side-to-side about its vertical axis, all in time to the music.

The invention has been shown and described in preferred form only, and by way of example, and many variations may be made in the invention which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are included in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for animating a doll having movable legs, comprising:

a. a pair of support means for the doll legs,

b. means for rectilinearly translating said support means,

c. means for angularly translating said support means, and

d. means for reciprocating said support means so that they move in opposite directions,

e. each of said means (b), c), and (d) being operable independently of the other two.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means (d) includes a motor, and means for varying the speed of said motor to vary the speed of reciprocation of said support means.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means (c) includes a rotatable platform carrying said support means, and means for rotating said platform.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said means (b) includes a slidable base member carried by said platform, said base carrying said support means, and means for sliding said base member rectilinearly with respect to said platform.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 including a shaft carried by said platform, said shaft being movable in a plane parallel to the plane of said platform for rotating the latter, and means responsive to rotation of said shaft about its longitudinal axis for slidin said base.

6. A dvice as defined in claim 5 wherein said responsive means includes a toothed rack fixed with respect to said base member, and a pinion carried by said shaft, said pinion meshing with said rack.

7. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means (d) includes a rotatable base, said support means being slidably carried by said rotatable base, means for oscillating said rotatable base, and means responsive to oscillations of said rotatable base for reciprocating said support means in opposite directions with respect to said rotatable base.

8. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein said responsive means includes a stationary gear, and a toothed rack fixed with respect to each of said support means, said racks meshing with said gear.

9. A device for animating a doll having movable legs, comprising:

a. a rotatable base,

b. a pair of support means, for the doll legs, slidably carried by said rotatable base,

c. means for oscillating said rotatable base, and

d. means responsive to oscillations of said rotatable base for reciprocating said support means in opposite directions with respect to said rotatable base.

10. A device as defined in claim 9 including an upwardly concave guide surface for each of said support means for causing the latter to move along an arcuate path having a center of curvature located above said support means.

11. A device as defined in claim 9 including a base plate with respect to which said rotatable base rotates, and wherein said responsive means includes a gear stationary with respect to said base plate, and a toothed rack fixed with respect to each of said support means and movable with said rotatable base, said racks meshing with said gear.

12. A device as defined in claim 9 including a base plate carrying said rotatable base and with respect to which said rotatable base rotates, and a platform, said base plate being carried by and slidable rectilinearly with respect to said platform.

13. A device as defined in claim 12 including a pair of parallel rails carried by said platform, said base plate being slidably supported by said rails.

14. A device as defined in claim 12 including a housing, said platform being carried by and rotatable with respect to said housing. 

1. A device for animating a doll having movable legs, comprising: a. a pair of support means for the doll legs, b. means for rectilinearly translating said support means, c. means for angularly translating said support means, and d. means for reciprocating said support means so that they move in opposite directions, e. each of said means (b), (c), and (d) being operable independently of the other two.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means (d) includes a motor, and means for varying the speed of said motor to vary the speed of reciprocation of said support means.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means (c) includes a rotatable platform carrying said support means, and means for rotating said platform.
 4. A device as defined in claim 3 wherein said means (b) includes a slidable base member carried by said platform, said base carrying said support means, and means for sliding said base member rectilinearly with respect to said platform.
 5. A device as defined in claim 4 including a shaft carried by said platform, said shaft being movable in a plane parallel to the plane of said platform for rotating the latter, and means responsive to rotation of said shaft about its longitudinal axis for sliding said base.
 6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said responsive means includes a toothed rack fixed with respect to said base member, and a pinion carried by said shaft, said pinion meshing with said rack.
 7. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means (d) includes a rotatable base, said support means being slidably carried by said rotatable base, means for oscillating said rotatable base, and means responsive to oscillations of said rotatable base for reciprocating said support means in opposite directions with respect to said rotatable base.
 8. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein said responsive means includes a stationary gear, and a toothed rack fixed with respect to each of said support means, said racks meshing with said gear.
 9. A device for animating a doll having movable legs, comprising: a. a rotatable base, b. a pair of support means, for the doll legs, slidably carried by said rotatable base, c. means for oscillating said rotatable base, and d. means responsive to oscillations of said rotatable base for reciprocating said support means in opposite directions with respect to said rotatable base.
 10. A device as defined in claim 9 including an upwardly concave guide surface for each of said support means for causing the latter to move along an arcuate path having a center of curvature located above said support means.
 11. A device as defined in claim 9 including a base plate with respect to which said rotatable base rotates, and wherein said responsive means includes a gear stationary with respect to said base plate, and a toothed rack fixed with respect to each of said support means and movable with said rotatable base, said racks meshing with said gear.
 12. A device as defined in claim 9 including a base plate carrying said rotatable base and with respect to which said rotatable base rotates, and a platform, said base plate being carried by and slidable rectilinearly with respect to said platform.
 13. A device as defined in claim 12 including a pair of parallel rails carried by said platform, said base plate being slidably supported by said rails.
 14. A device as defined in claim 12 including a housing, said platform being carried by and rotatable with respect to said housing. 